Bitter Shift: Germans Growing Increasingly Critical of Israel, Anti-Semitic Attitudes on the Rise
Growing dissatisfaction among Germans towards Israel's policies and actions.
Eight decades post-World War II and the establishment of diplomatic relations, a damning survey indicates a disturbing deterioration in the German sentiment towards Israel over the past four years. A significant number of citizens now harbor negative views of Israel's government, and anti-Semitic sentiments have spiked, particularly among the younger generation. The Israelis, on the other hand, view Germany and its government positively, according to the Bertelsmann Foundation’s recent survey.
The survey unveils a chasm in mutual perception, with classic anti-Semitism resurfacing in Germany, in spite of efforts to eradicate such attitudes. To paint a graphic picture, only 36% of the German respondents now hold a positive view of Israel, which was 46% in 2021, while 38% now harbor negative sentiments. In stark contrast, 60% of the Israeli respondents maintain a positive or very positive image of Germany.
Alarmingly, 59% of the German respondents express a negative view of the Israeli government, though surprisingly, only 17% of Israeli respondents find the German government less than congenial. More striking still, over two-thirds (68%) of Israelis prefer a stronger bilateral cooperation, as opposed to merely over one-fourth (24%) in Germany.
Israeli Policy: Spark to Anti-Semitic Flame
The survey reveals that anti-Semitic attitudes have reached their highest level in years, with 27% in 2025, as against 24% four years ago. Anti-Semiticism associated with Israel has also surged, with 29% of respondents pointing fingers at the Israeli policy for making Jews unsympathetic towards them. This sentiment has swelled from 14 to 28% among those aged under 40.
Stephan Vopel, an Israel expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation comments, "Anti-Semitism is prevalent, not a marginal issue, in Germany and is evident in various social milieus and political camps."
The German past, particularly the Holocaust, continues to cast a long shadow over the relationship between Germans and Israelis. Even though 32% of the German respondents advocate for drawing a line under the past, this number is 62% in Israel. Notably, 64% of the Israelis believe that Germany bears a unique responsibility towards the Jewish people and Israel.
Education and Political Bias: A Tale of Two Nations
The survey demonstrates a noticeable split in German responses based on education level. A mere 25% of the respondents with a lower level of education reject the need to address the Holocaust's legacy, as compared to 41% of those with a higher level of education.
Party affiliations come into play as well: support for drawing a line under the past increases from 63% among the AfD supporters to only 14% among the Green Party supporters.
Caveats and Limitations
The survey, conducted between February 24 and March 25, 2025, involved 1346 adults in Germany and 1367 adults in Israel. Occurrences in media and political landscapes may affect sentiment over time, thus warranting periodic updates on attitudes towards Israel and anti-Semitic tendencies in Germany.
- Israel
- Antisemitism
- Holocaust
Insights:
- The rising polarization in German politics and media coverage of contentious issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, may be contributing to the growth in negative sentiment towards Israel.
- Germany’s involvement in international conflicts, such as its stance on the Ukrainian conflict and its support for sanctions against Russia, might be impacting the public opinion.
- Economic tensions and heightened nationalism in Germany could lead to less sympathetic views towards international entities like Israel.
- The growth of far-right parties, such as the AfD, with ties to neo-Nazi ideologies and anti-Semitic propaganda, is linked with the spike in anti-Semitic sentiments.
- Immigration and integration challenges face societal tensions, with some resorting to anti-Semitic rhetoric as a means to vent broader discontent with the immigration policies.
- Lack of comprehensive education about Jewish history, the Holocaust, and current Jewish issues may lead to a lack of empathy and understanding, exacerbating anti-Semitic attitudes.
- Social media and online platforms perpetuate the spread of misinformation, hate speech, and polarized opinions, amplifying anti-Semitic sentiments.
- The survey comparing community and employment policies in Israel and Germany shows a significant divergence, with Israelis viewing Germany's government positively, while a majority of Germans harbor negative views of Israel's government, with anti-Semitic attitudes becoming increasingly prevalent.
- The rise in anti-Semitic sentiments among Germans, as unveiled by the survey, can be attributed to various factors, such as the education level, political bias, media coverage of contentious issues, and the growth of far-right parties with ties to neo-Nazi ideologies.
- The German past, particularly the Holocaust, continues to cast a long shadow over the relationship between Germans and Israelis, with 64% of Israelis believing that Germany bears a unique responsibility towards the Jewish people and Israel, while 32% of Germans advocate for drawing a line under the past.
- The survey also reveals that a noticeable split in German responses based on education level and party affiliations exists. For instance, 41% of respondents with a higher level of education endorse the need to address the Holocaust's legacy, as compared to 25% of those with a lower level of education, and support for drawing a line under the past increases among AfD supporters but decreases among the Green Party supporters.
